A Method of and a Processing Device Handling a Protocol Address in a Network

• US 20150372968A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Tonzetic, Tomislav, Matausic, Ivica
• Granted Patent: US 9,450,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of handling a protocol address (IP_x) in a network (10). The network comprises a number of K servers (12). A server is uniquely identified in the network by a server identifier (Sid_x). A server houses a maximum number of L units (14). A unit comprises one hardware address (MACx) to connect to the network and a unit identifier (Eid_x) which uniquely identifies the unit in the server. A unit hosts a maximum number of M hosts (16). Each host on a unit comprises a local host identifier (Hid_x) uniquely identifying the host on the unit. A unit (14) generates a protocol address (IP_x) for a host on the unit based on the local host identifier (Hid_x) of the host, the unit identifier (Eid_x) of the unit and the server identifier (Sid_x) associated with the unit and assigns the protocol address to the host (16).

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method of handling protocol addresses in a network;

wherein the network comprises a number of servers K, each server being uniquely identified in the network by a server identifier and comprising a maximum number of units L;

wherein each unit comprises;

a) one hardware address to connect to the network, b) a unit identifier that uniquely identifies the unit in the server, and c) a maximum number of hosts M, each host comprising a local host identifier uniquely identifying the host on the unit;

wherein the method comprising;

generating, by a unit, a protocol address for a host on the unit based on;

the local host identifier of the host;

the unit identifier of the unit; and

the server identifier associated with the unit;

assigning, by the unit, the protocol address to the host.

16. The method of claim 15:

wherein the protocol address comprises a network part and a host identifier part;

wherein the server identifier is represented by a first parameter having k-bits, k being a positive integer such that 2k≧

K;

wherein the unit identifier is represented by a second parameter having l-bits, l being a positive integer such that 2l≧

L;

wherein the local host identifier is represented by a third parameter having m-bits, m being a positive integer such that 2m≧

M;

further comprising obtaining the host identifier part by concatenating the bits of;

the first parameter;

the second parameter; and

the third parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the host identifier part comprises H-bits and k+l+m≦

H.

18. The method of claim 16:

wherein a server defines a segment of the network;

wherein the first parameter corresponds to the bits of the host identifier part of the protocol address defining the segment in the network.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a first host is located on a second unit and has a predefined local host identifier, the method further comprising:

a first unit generating a protocol address of the first host based on;

the predefined local host identifier of the first host;

the unit identifier of the second unit; and

the server identifier associated with the second unit;

the first unit sending a request for the hardware address of the first host having the protocol address;

the second unit sending, in response to the request, a response comprising the hardware address of the second unit;

the first unit retrieving the hardware address of the second unit from the response;

the first unit storing a relation between the protocol address of the first host and the hardware address of the second unit in a database of the first unit.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one most significant bit of the first parameter defines the number of bits of the first parameter, second parameter, and third parameter.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein storing comprises:

generating an index address with a predefined length by concatenating at least the bits of the first parameter and the bits of the second parameter;

linking the hardware address of the second unit to the index address.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the first unit:

generating a protocol address for each respective additional host on the second unit based on;

the local host identifier of each respective additional host;

the unit identifier of the second unit; and

the server identifier associated with the second unit;

storing a relation between each protocol address of each respective additional host and the hardware address of the second unit.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising a process of the first unit:

receiving a request from a host on the first unit to provide the hardware address associated with a protocol address;

processing the protocol address to obtain an index address;

retrieving the hardware address from a database by using the index address; and

sending, in response to successfully retrieving the hardware address, the retrieved hardware address to the host on the first unit.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein processing comprises:

deducing the number of bits of the first parameter, second parameter, and third parameter, based on at least one bit of the protocol address;

retrieving the first parameter and second parameter from the protocol address;

generating the index address having a predefined length by concatenating at least the bits of the first parameter and the bits of the second parameter.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising, in response to unsuccessfully retrieving the hardware address, the process of the first unit:

sending a request for the hardware address to a remote host having the protocol address;

receiving, in response to the request, a response comprising the hardware address;

retrieving the hardware address from the response;

storing a relation between the protocol address of the remote host and the hardware address of a second unit hosting the remote host in a database of the first unit.

26. A processing device, comprising:

an Input/Output device configured to connect to;

a network system;

a database; and

a data storage comprising instructions;

a processor that, by executing the instructions, is configured to;

generate a protocol address for a host on the processing device based on;

a local host identifier of the host;

a unit identifier of the processing device; and

a server identifier associated with the processing device;

assign the protocol address to the host.

27. The processing device of claim 26, wherein the processor, by executing the instructions, is configured to:

generate a protocol address for a first host having a predefined local host identifier and located on a second unit based on;

the predefined local host identifier of the first host;

a unit identifier of the second unit;

a server identifier associated with the second unit;

send a request for a response comprising a hardware address to the first host having the protocol address;

retrieve the hardware address of the second unit from the response; and

store the relation between the protocol address of the first host and the hardware address of the second unit in the database.

28. The processing device of claim 26, wherein the processor, by executing the instructions, is configured to:

receive, from a local host, a request to provide the hardware address associated with a protocol address;

process the protocol address to obtain an index address;

retrieve, from the database, the hardware address by using the index address; and

send, to the local host, the retrieved hardware address.